FIA confirms Pirelli as F1's new tyre supplier from 2011
Pirelli will supply F1 teams tyres for three-years from next season
Thursday, 24, Jun 2010 10:05
By Adam Leveridge.
Motorsport's governing body, the FIA, has confirmed that Pirelli will take the reins from Bridgestone as formula one's official control tyre supplier from 2011 to the end of the 2013 season.
Following months of uncertainty and bids from the likes of Michelin and Hankook, the FIA announced that Pirelli's bid had been successful, at a meeting of the World Motor Sport Council (WMSC) on Wednesday.
"Pirelli has been selected as the single tyre supplier for the FIA F1 world championship for a period of three years, commencing in 2011," said the FIA in a statement.
"The sole supplier will undertake to strictly respect the sporting and technical regulations implemented by the FIA."
The FIA also confirmed that no overtaking is permitted if the safety car enters the pit-lane on the final lap of a grand prix, which is consistent with their interpretation of the rules when adjudicating on Michael Schumacher's pass on Fernando Alonso on the final lap of the Monaco grand prix in May.
"With immediate effect, no car may overtake until it has passed the first safety car line for the first time when the safety car is returning to the pits," said the FIA.
"However, if the safety car is still deployed at the beginning of the last lap, or is deployed during the last lap, it will enter the pit lane at the end of the lap and the cars will take the chequered flag as normal without overtaking."
In addition to this, the WMSC announced its intention to reinstate the "107 per cent rule" during qualifying, which would prevent any driver from taking part in the grand prix if their best lap exceeds 107 per cent of the fastest time set in Q1.
"From 2011, any driver whose best qualifying lap exceeds 107 per cent of the fastest Q1 qualifying time will not be allowed to take part in the race," said the FIA.
"Under exceptional circumstances, however, which may include setting a suitable lap time in a free practice session, the stewards may permit the car to start the race.
"Should there be more than one driver accepted in this manner, the grid order will be determined by the stewards."
Adjustable rear-wings will be permitted in place of moveable front wings and F-ducts, however, they will only be used to assist overtaking, when a driver is less then one second behind another competitor.
At Wednesday's meeting of the WMSC, the FIA said: "From 2011, adjustable bodywork may be activated by the driver at any time prior to the start of the race and, for the sole purpose of improving overtaking opportunities during the race, after the driver has completed two laps.
"The driver may only activate the adjustable bodywork in the race when he has been notified via the control electronics that it is enabled.
"It will only be enabled if the driver is less than one second behind another at any of the pre-determined positions around each circuit.
"The system will be disabled the first time the driver uses the brakes after the system has been activated.
"The FIA may, after consulting all the competitors, adjust the time proximity in order to ensure the purpose of the adjustable bodywork is met."